Bombing Hackers: Kinetic Answer to Cyber Attacks

Is bombing hackers going to sort out the cyber-crime or cyber-terrorism?
Unfortunately, it is not likely. We suggest a collective international response
instead.

A 32-year-old Chinese woman gained access to Mar-a-Lago
during Donald Trump’s visit to the Florida resort over the weekend, reported
the New York Times. The event from March this year would
not be particular news if the person did not carry four cell phones and a thumb
drive infected with malware. The security agents in charge concluded that the infected
removable drive contained a piece of malware with the aim of spying on US President
Trump.

This relatively easy to detect attempt was rather unusual as
this alleged cyber-attack was easily attributable. The majority of these attacks
happen remotely since it is pretty tricky to determine whether or not other
states actors are behind such attacks.

Based on the various sources, Panda Security recently pointed out that the states are
facing an increasing amount of cyber-attacks. The state-owned enterprises, defence
companies, the aerospace sector, universities, activists and journalists are all
preferred targets of cyber-attacks.

Panda Security explained that the vectors of cyber-attacks are
varied but the most common intrusions on systems and computers are done by using
malware delivered via emails or by physical devices such as pen drives or
portable memory units. Blocking systems via botnets-based DDoS attacks and the
remote espionage of electronic devices, by capturing signals from mobile
networks or Wi-Fi signals, are also common. Cyber attackers are increasingly using
more complex techniques such as electromagnetic emanations from the hardware.

Bombing Hackers

Cyberwarfare is nowadays recognised as a new battlefield, similar
to air, land, sea and space. It seems that cyber-capable states are progressively
more spying and hacking each other – and the rest of the world. The cyberwarfare
has reached such an extent that even Pentagon worries that its newest high-tech
weapons, such as the F-35, are vulnerable to hacking.

We have recently pointed
out that the United States already have highly resourced Cyber Command,
the Russian Federation has established Kiber Voyska (Cyber Army), Israel has an
intelligent Cyber Unit 8200, People’s Liberation Army has a cyber unit
deploying up to 100,000 individuals, the UK has the National Cybersecurity
Centre, and many other countries have established specifically dedicated cyber
protection and offence units or agencies. Even Facebook has its own War Room
for the control of the Internet.

State-backed hacking and physical warfare have been on a
slow but steady path toward convergence for about two decades – reports the Wired.com portal. The portal further stated that both
information security and warfare researchers say that it was only a matter of
time before a nation launched a kinetic attack against enemy hackers. The US,
for example, has reserved the right to retaliate against cyber-attacks with the
military force since 2011.

So far it was cyber-attack against another cyber-assault but
we at VM Advisory have agreed with the above warnings and
have repeatedly cautioned that the cyber-attacks might provoke much more disasters
reaction – a kinetic response.

And it has indeed happened at the begging of this month!

As reported by the Hacker Combat Community,
the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) response against cyber attackers was decisive
and literally with the ‘bang’. Israel bombed hackers from Gaza! The IDF flattened
a building allegedly used by hackers from Hamas.

The IDF twitted: “We
thwarted an attempted Hamas cyber offensive against Israeli targets. Following
our successful cyber defensive operation, we targeted a building where the
Hamas cyber operatives work. HamasCyberHQ.exe has been removed.”

The bombing is the first known example of a kinetic attack
being used as a response to cyber aggression. The Wired.com portal calls it another evolution of
so-called “hybrid warfare”.

So Where Are We Going?

The cyber-attackers have devised many methods of hiding the
origins of the attacks but the kinetic response is much easier to recognise and
attribute. With no intention to comment on this particular Israeli response, we
are concerned that an increasing physical response to cyber-attacks can be disastrous.
If the kinetic rejoinders escalate regionally or globally, it can cause unprecedented
tragedies – including the possibility of a nuclear Armageddon.

Creating a safer world by the internationally organised and
coordinated actions on at least three issues: counter-terrorism, cybersecurity
and disaster management – is becoming imperative!

Joining the call of many concerned organisations and
individuals, we have recently suggested
the creation of an international effective mechanism and close cooperation for
fighting against the threats of cybercrime and terrorism. This includes
cooperation in the areas such as sharing of information and best practices
relating to cybersecurity and effective coordination against cybercrime and
cyber terrorism. The development of international norms, principles and
standards should be an urgent job of international organisations such as the UN,
International Telecommunication Union, European Union, BRICS – as well as
various military alliances.

The signing of these high-level agreements would allow the countries
to launch a direct dialogue regarding the main cooperation aspects of
maintaining international cyber and general security. In other words, this will
allow countries to conduct practical cooperation on a range of issues such as
the establishment of nodal points in member-states for cooperation by using,
for example, the national Computer Security Incident Response Teams. These
should be joint systems for responding to cybersecurity threats, investigating
cases of the use of ICT for terrorist and other criminal purposes – and preventing
the kinetic response to cyber-attacks.

This would be a far better way to build a more secure world
than to witness an increment in the cyber-kinetic war games.

3 thoughts on “Bombing Hackers: Kinetic Answer to Cyber Attacks”

Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary general, told officials at the Cyber Defense Pledge Conference in London on Thursday (23 May 2019) that the alliance won’t hesitate to use all means necessary to respond to cyberattacks moving forward.

“For deterrence to have full effect, potential attackers must know that we are not limited to respond in cyberspace when we are attacked in cyberspace,” Stoltenberg stressed. “We can and we will use the full range of capabilities at our disposal.”